Data conversion system



July l2, 1960 K. L. AUSTIN DATA CONVERSION SYSTEM 17 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Juno 26, 1957 In lli. li@ lllm July 12, 1960l K. L. AUSTIN 2,944,733'

DATA CONVERSION SYSTEM Filed June 26, 1957 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Arran/H6.

July 12 1960 KQL. AUSTIN I 2,944,733

DATA CONVERSION SYSTEM rew/vf-TH .4 Ayer/M July 12, 1960 K. L. AUSTIN om coNvERsIoN SYSTEM 17 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 26, 1957 QUSG July Iz, 1960 Filed June 26, 1957 K. L. AUSTIN DATA CONVERSION SYSTEM 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 5 July 12, 1960 K. L. AUSTIN 2,944,733

DATA CONVERSION SYSTEM Filed June 26, 1957 17 Sheets-Sheet '7 n' a K. L. AUSTIN DATA CONVERSION SYSTEM .July 12, 1960 17 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed June 26, 1957 July l2, 1960 K. l.. Aus-HN DATA CONVERSION SYSTEM 17 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed June 26, 1957 O w N m 4 fw w. .lun NN .g w M l f m @mRmGMQ Q SK lim. llm l,| www. @..wkn w\ W v li llq x mmm mh .uml -bu zv E: EWE Al :E: FE:EMM: www. Wmm www S @m .SWMM 5% l bwm Q Lr h QQ ww s .fr l. n m vmvhm July 12, 1960 K. l.. AUSTIN DATA CONVERSION SYSTEM 17 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed June 26, 1957 July l2, 1960 K. L. AUSTIN DATA CONVERSION SYSTEM 1'7l sheets-sheet 11 Filed June 26, 1957 July 12, 1960 K. l., AusTlN DATA CONVERSION SYSTEM 17 Sheets-Sheet 12 Filed June 26, 1957 BY Q d Arme/v5 rf.

QQ E 3 July 12, 1960 K. l.. usTlN 2,944,733

DATA CONVERSION SYSTEM Filed June 26, 1957 17 Sheets-Sheet 13 ngc/405 46@ INVENTOR. ,rf/v/vfrf/ A05/wv July 12, 1960 K. L. AusTlN 2,944,733

DATA CONVERSION SYSTEM Filed June 26, 1957 v 17 Sheets-Sheet i4 ign zz.

K. L. vAus-HN 2,944,733

DATA CONVERSION SYSTEM 17 Sheets-Sheet 15 July 12, 1960 Filed June 26, 1957 17 Sheets-Sheet 16 Filed June 26, 1957 ITT l |l FLI, l#

EL f,"

m MM,

SNENN m rlvl J E lllLl l 3 un mugs si. w

X T Hmmm wwww QQ SG E QS Q July 12, 1960 K. L. Aus'rlN DATA CONVERSION SYSTEM Filed June 26, 1957 .17 Sheets-Sheet 17 blk INVENTOR.

Kfm/771' Ausf/N ATMP/M5344'.

nited States Patent DATA CONVERSION SYSTEM Kenneth L. Austin, Grapevine, Tex., assigner to Burroughs Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed .lune 26, 1957, Ser. No. 668,214

18 Claims. (Cl. 23S-61.6)

This invention relates to data conversion apparatus and, more particularly, is concerned with converting data from standard punched card form to binary-coded digital pulse form or other similar digital pulse form for direct use in an electronic digital computer, and vice versa.

' The use of punched cards for storing information to be used in commercial business and accounting machines is well known. Because punched cards are in such general use today, it is desirable that punched card information be made directly usable in electronic digital computers and that punch cards or printed tabulations be made directly available inv response to calculations made by an electronic computer. Commercial machines using punched cards generally require information to be stored in alphanumeric form, i.e., the information stored on the card must be alphabetic as well as numeric in character. Since the computer itself is basically a pure numeric machine, the alphanumeric information stored on the card must be converted by a conversion system to a digital code form which can be readily programmed in the computer, or from a digital code form to a form Which can be printed or punched.

Moreover, in any computer system involving a machine whose internal logic is organized into words of fixed length, it is necessary that any data conversion system take the information from the punched card and group it into words of the required number of digits for use in the computer.

By the present invention, such a data conversion sys- I tem is provided which is capable of utilizing the full speed and capacity of the computing machine. In addition, the data conversion system of the present invention is capable of compressing the punch card information into the minimum number of digits required to carry such information in the computer. Thus, no information, time, or space within the computer is wasted. Also, by the. present invention a data conversion system is provided for punching cards according to information derived from an electronic computer or for printing information by means of a tabulating machine. The conversion system is capable of utilizing the full speed and capacity of the computing machine. The conversion system provides a means for translating purely numeric information put out in words of fixed digital length bythe computer to alphanumeric form for use in the card punch ortabulating machines. The conversion system is capable of spreading out the words from the computer into appropriate fields for punching or printing in desired columns on the cards or tabulating sheets.

In brief, the invention contemplates storage on an intermediate or butter drum between the card reader or card punch machine and the computer. Format control bands on the buffer drum are used to program the transfer of information bits ontol or olf the buffer drum. Format can modify the information as it is transferred from-card to computer on input in at least four ways. On input to the computer a format control can provide straight transfer or can delete a digit, insert a zero', 'or replace a dibit by a zero. On input, the sign in- ICC formation can be placed at the proper end of the computer words by format control, or the digits can be conif pressed or spread out by deleting or adding zeros, On output, format control can provide straight transfer `or purely numeric transfer of digital informatiomorrcan insert blanks to spread out the information to `desired fields of the card, or can delete digits. By executingl vVari-Iv ous ones of these four functions for each digit from the computer, the data transfer apparatus can keep track of which digits are pure numeric and which are alphanumeric in character. i

The buler drum further provides a means of changing the standard IBM code, used in many punch card systems, from alphanumeric information on the punch cards to binary-coded digit form having a collating sequence for use in the computer, Yand from binary-coded digit form tov standard IBM code in the punch card machine or tabulator.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a replica of a standard IBM punch card;

Fig. 2 is a table showing the correlation between the standard IBM card, the buffer drum code, and the com- Fig. 6 is a timing diagram showing vthe sequence of operation of the various circuits in the `diagram of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a block diagram of the main components of the translating circuit in the buffer control unit;

Fig. 8 is a more detailed block diagram of the translal tor of Fig. 7 showing the operating logic of the circuit for translating from the input buffer drum to the com; puter;

Fig. 9 is a table showing the translation of zone in-V formation on input as performed by the translating circuit of Fig. 8;

v Fig.- 10 is a block diagram showing the operating. logic of the gating circuit in the translator shown in Fig.l 8;

Fig. l1 is a block diagram of the control circuits in the buffer control unit, as particularly employed during the input function, and the associated computer;

Fig. 12 is a timing diagram showing the sequence of operation of thevarious circuits in the diagram of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13v is a block diagram of the buffer output unit; Fig. 14 is a more detailed block diagram showing the operating logic of the circuit for translating from the buffer drum to the card punch machine in a buffer out-V put unit;

Fig. l5 is a timing diagram showing the sequence of operation of the circuit in Fig. 5;

Fig. 16 is a detailed block diagram showing the oper-f ating logic of the comparison gating circuit' of Figs. 4 and 5;

Fig. 17 is a table showing the comparison function performed by the. comparison circuit of Fig. 7; Y

Fig. 18 is a'block diagram of the control circuits inthe'` buffer control unit and the associated computer;

Fig. 19 is a timing diagram showing the sequence of operation of the circuits inl Fig. 9;

Fig. 20 is a detailed block diagram of the translator showing the operating logic `of the circuit for translating from the computer to the output buffer drum;

Fig. 2l is a table showing the translation of zone in-` formation on output as performed by the translating circuitofFig. 2vO;andv :.1: "`Fig. 22' is' ay detailed block'diagram showing the oper- Y input units to the digital computer.

, v 3 ating logic of the gating circuit in the 2O;

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a standard IBM punch card. The punch positions on the card are defined by 'twelvel horizontal rows designated from the vtop down as the 112, row, 1l row,'and 0 through 9 rows. The card is also divided into eighty vertical columns. Numbers are storedon the punchV card vby punching each digit of thenumber in the corresponding row of the card. Generally certain columns are set aside for numbers representing one type of information, i.e., numbers representing an account number, or a dollar balance etc. These specific columns on the punch card are referred to as information fields. Letters and other symbols are representedV by two or more punches in each column. Thus, the twenty-six letters of the alphabet involve one punch in the 12, 11 or 0 rows and a second punch in the l translator of Fig.

through 9y rows, according to the standard IBM card i code'. The, punches in the 12, ll and 0 rows are referred tov as. over-punches, the 12, 11, and 0 rows being referred to as zone rows in contrast to the remaining digit rows referred to asnumeric rows. Fig. 2, in the next to the left-hand column, shows the rows by number which are punched to represent a given numbenletter or standard symbol' as set forthV in the left-hand column, according to thestandard IBM code.

Y functional blockdiagram form.

includes a magnetic storage drum 30. The storage drumk Referring to Fig. 3, there is shown a block diagram of the main components of the data conversion system.

The numeral 10 indicates generally a digital computer, whichis preferably of a binary-coded Vdecimal type, such asV particularly described in an article entitled Engineering Description of the Electrord'ata Digital Computer, by. John C. "Alrich, appearing in the Transactions of the IRE, Professional Group on Electronic Computers vol. EC-4, No. l, March 1955. Information is fed into the digital computerfrom selected ones of a plurality of punch card reader` units, such as indicated at 12 and 14. Th punch card reader units are standard machines available on the market for reading punch cards, the reader units requiredfor the present invention preferablyv of atype. having at least two reading positions or Vstations, i.e., two positions in which the punched information on. the cards can be read out electrically. See Patent No. 2,275,396. i

`The information'read out of each punch card reader. for each card fed through the reader is stored temporarily in VanbuiferY input unit, such' as indicated at 16 and 18. The buffer input units include a format control by whichy the form of the information appearing on the punch cards may be rearranged in a selectedk manner as required for proper operation ofthe digital computer 10. The buffer input units store the information in modified form, referred to as the buffer code, for the purpose and in the manner which will hereinafter be more fully explained. Y

Information stored in the buffer input units is fed into the digital computer 10 through a buffer control unit 20. The buffer control unit 20 selects one of the buffer input units by means of a selector switch 21, and controls the transfer ofV information to the computer, dividing the information received from the selected buffer input unit into standard word lengths for feeding into the registers of the digital computer 10. At the same time the buffer control unit 20 compresses or modifies the information transferred, as required by the format control in the buffer input' unit. The buffer control unit 20 receives commands fromV the digital computer Y10 by which it selects one of several punch card reader units and also by which it controls the transfer of information from theV card readers tothe buffer input units, and from the buffer The buffer control runit 20 also receives output informa- I tion from the. digital computer 10. It transfers', by means 4 and 24, by means of which a plurality of card punch units, such as indicated at 26 and 28, may be controlled to record information from the computer 10 in punchedcard form. Instead of a punch card machine on output, a standard printing or tabulating machine may be used. The buffer control unit 20, in conjunction with the buffer output units 22 and 24, modifies and rearranges the information received from the computer according to format control information stored in the selected buffer output unit to spread out the information in the desired fields on the punch card in any selected manner. Thus, lO-digit Words plus sign information from the computer where the digits in the Words have alphanumeric significance, must be converted to numeric and zone punches on the punched card, the punches being positioned in selected columns in the proper fields on the punched card` (or tabulating sheet).

Referring to Fig. 4, a buffer input unit is shown in The buffer input unit is rotated by a motor 32 and is arranged to have an information band comprising fourvstorage tracks, five format bands, Veach comprising two tracks, and a timingpulse band including two tracks. By means of the four information tracks in the information band, binary information bits may be simultaneously recorded representative of any one of the sixteen decimal numbers 0 through 15. The binary-coded decimal digits are recorded magnetically in conventional manner in the form of pulses or no-pulses in their respective tracks, corresponding, to the binary digits 1 and 0 respectively.

One timing track generates a single output pulse per revolution of the drum, called the zero pulse andv indicated on the drawings, where applied to a circuit, as ZP.A The other timing track generates 319 output pulses per revolution, referred to as buffer pulses and indicated on the dra-wings, where appliedto a circuit, as BP.- The zero pulse and buffer pulses together in effect divide the circumference of the drum into 320 divisions, called information positions. f

TheV pulses are fed from the drum to a timing vgenerator 33 which regenerates and sharpens the pulses and delays the buffer pulses by different selected amounts as required for proper timing sequence of the various circuits in the buffer input unit. On the drawings, buffer pulses from a selected buffer input or output unit are designatedV with a subscript s. Buffer pulses which are `delayed are indicated in the drawings by a number after the BP,

the number indicating the relative amount of delay. Thus, a BP-S pulse is delayed longer than a BP-2 p ulse, as generated by the generator 33.

The binary pulses are recorded on the d'rum 30 by means of an information write amplifier 34 including four: channelsy of amplification coupled respectivelyrto four magnetic write heads indicated at 36. Information is read out of the'information band by means of' an information read amplifier 38 having four amplification channels coupled respectively to four magnetic read headsk indicated at 40.

When. the first punch card'isstarted thro-ugh the card reader 12,V as by operation of a start control 4?, it passes through the firsty reading station of the cardreader 12 wherek suitable electrical brushes detect the presence of a punch. pattern indicative of a particular format control to be used in conjunction with that card. The format control information must be previously punched on the 'circuit44' thatvactuates the format select circuit 46 to I select one of the five format bands previouslyy established of a 4sv'vitching ycircuit 23, output informationto'any one Y onjthe drum 30.'

Theformat bands can be recorded on the-drum of the *inputl unit'szin lany/.desired manner. b y ,the Aoperatori` f("teuerally, the format'bands are recorded on the drums by information set up in the computer and read out through the buffer control unit 20 to format write amplitiers, such as indicated at 47, in each of the buffer units. However, the format information bits may be recorded directly on the drum by manually indexing the drum through each of the 320 information positions, and recording at each position the desired format instruction for that position according to any predetermined format plan.

As the punch card is fed into the second reading station of the card reader 12, each row is read out in parallel to a shifting register 48, which stores simultaneously punch information for each of the eighty column positions for the particular row passing under the reading brushes in the card reader 12.

As each row passes under the reading brushes in the card reader 12, a pulse, referred to as a row pulse, is generated by the card reader 12. The row pulses are fed to a control circuit 50 which actuates a row counter circuit 52. The control circuit 50 establishes a particular count on the row counter for each particular row being shifted onto the shifting register 48. The row counter 52, in turn, controls a gating circuit 54, the row counter establishing a particular gating pattern in the circuit 54 such that when a pulse is applied to the gating circuit 54, as from the output of the shifting register 43, output pulses are fed through selected ones of the channels of the information write amplifier 34 onto the information tracks of the drum 30. For each row on the punch card there is provided a corresponding binary-coded digit as established by the row counter 52 and gating circuit 54. This digit is recorded on the drum by each output pulse from the shifting register 48.

The shifting out of each row of information stored on the shifting register 48 in serial form is provided by shifting pulses derived from the timing generator 33 and gated to the shifting register 48 through a control circuit 56. As pointed out above, the circumference of the drum is divided into 320 information positions. This means that the eighty columns in the original punch card can be spread outginto 320 positions on the magnetic drum, However, since the alphanumeric information on the cards involves an overpunch, that is, two punches in one column, one in the zone rows of l2, l1 and 0, and one in the numeric rows of l through 9, two information positions must be provided on the drum for each column on the card. Thus, the eighty columns on the card lreader may be actually spread out into one hundred a-nd sixty information digits on the drum. This function is carried out by the control circuit 56 under the control of format information derived from the selected format band on the drum and under the control of the control circuit 50 and row counter 52 in a manner to be more specifically described hereinafter.

Suffice it to say for the present general description of the operation of the buffer input unit, the control circuit 56 normally gates every other buffer pulse from the timing generator 33 to the shifting register 48. If the row counter 52 indicates that a zone row is on the shifting register 48, one set of pulses comprising every other buler pulse is gated to the shifting register 48. If the row counter 52 indicates that a numeric row is stored on the shifting register 48, another set of buffer pulses comprising the alternate buffer pulses is gated to the shifting register 48. In this way, an interlacing of zone and numeric information digits is provided on the buffer drum 30, so that each column of information on the punch card has associated with it a zone position and a numeric information position on the buffer drum 30.

Spreading out of the eighty columns intothe one hundred and sixty digit positions on the butfer drum is achieved through the format control. As pointed out above, one of five pairs of format tracks on the drum are selected by the format select circuit 46 in response to punched information on the card being read. The format select circuit 46 gates a selected pair of read'hads t'oa format read amplifier 58 having two channels of lamplication. By virtue of the double tracks 'for each format band, any one of four format commands can be stored in binary form in each information position around the circumference of the drum in each format band. The four commands used are the number 0 command for Insert Zero, thenumber 1 command Afor Transfer Alphabetic, the number 2 command for Replace by Zero, and the number 3 command for Delete Digit.

The output from the format read amplier 58 is connected to a format delay circuit 60. The two format channels are designated on the drawings as F and F', where F represents the most significant binary digit of the format control number. 'Ihe subscripts 1, 2V and 3 indicate different amounts of delay introduced bythe format delay 60 in units of delay necessary to provide the proper sequence of operation and allow for. the time necessary for information to move through the buffer unit, buffer control, and computer.

For any command except Insert Zero, as derived from the format band through the select circuit 46, amplifier 58, and format delay 60, 4the control circuit 56 actuates the shifting register 48 fromgthe buffer pulses received from the'timing generator 33 in the manner` above described.` However, for the command Insertj Zero when derived 'from the format control band, the control circuit 56 does not gate the associated ,timingl buffer pulse from the timing generator 33 to the shifting register 4S. Thus, with the Insert Zero command, no information is shifted onto the information tracksof the drum 30, so that a zero results at the corresponding information position on the buffer drum'. Except in the case of sign information, zeros are never inserted between the Zone and numeric positions comprising one punch card character. Y

For a more complete understanding of the construction and operation of the buifer input unit, consideration is directed to Figs. 5 and 6. The card reader 12 is started in operation by a flip-flop or toggle 62. The flip-flop 62 may be initially triggered by manually closingA a switch or by a buffer command pulse BOC from the buffer control unit 2t) in response to a .computer command ina manner hereinafter more fully described. With Vthe toggle 62 in the on condition, the first punch card begins to feed through the card readerf12 where thevformat information is first read off into the format storage and.y The format information,

control circuit 44 (see Fig. 4). may either appear onv the punch card as selected overpunches in one row or as selected punches in one column.

In either event, the circuit 44 stores the information inv binary form on a group of storage flip-flops from whichA a gating circuit forming part of the format select circuit 46 can be actuated to select and couple one pair of format read heads tothe amplifier 58.`

It should` be noted that in all the drawings, toggles or ip-flop circuits are indicated by letters F--F in a block. 'Ihe two stableconditions of the toggles, which are standard bi-stable multivibrators, are referred to hereinafter as the off conditions and the on condition. convention followed on the drawings, a pulse to the lower right-hand side of the block triggers the toggle on, raising the output from the upper right-hand side to a high,

levelpotential according to so-called positive logic.

The card then proceeds under operation of the card reader 12 to the second reading station, the 12-roW arriving first. can be operated equally as well, with proper modification, with a card reader in which the card arrives with the 9-row first. As the card moves under the second reading station, ya digit pulse is put out by the reader 12 (seel Fig. 6b) over a separate row 12I output line 67. This; pulse gates on an and circuit 69 so that the next 'zeropulse ZP from the generator 33 triggers off the start' tog'I gle 62. This means the reader willAautomaticallytopp after the card haslfed through `-the machine.' OnlyE rel' By the.

However, it should be noted that the circuitv 

